In 2003, the state of New Mexico adopted a law permitting gun owners to carry a concealed weapon - provided they first complete a class on the concealed-carry law and the safe handling of their weapon.

Today more than 22,000 state residents have obtained a permit according to Website "Legally Armed,"_ and the state recognizes several hundred certified instructors for the classes.

Carlsbad resident Bruce Combs is one of those instructors, and he has a special interest in non-lethal self-defense that is included in every class he teaches.

"One of the things that are required if you teach the concealed-carry class is that you talk about ways to get out of a bad situation, or prevent yourself from even getting into it," he says.

And Combs is developing a self-defense course that will emphasize non-lethal ways for the students to defend themselves.

Although he is certified by the National Rifle Association to teach a number of classes including personal protection in the home, he is taking some training himself to help in planning the course.

He also watches television - the Sportsman Channel - with interest in the self-defense shows that use different scenarios to emphasize the lessons.

"I try to incorporate that in my concealed-carry class," he says.

Self-defense

Self-defense is very important for personal protection in the home, he says, because a person may not always have access to their gun - it may be in another part of the house, for example.

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Another piece of advice from the self-defense angle is to use the voice recorder or video recorder on your cell phone in case you are threatened or otherwise placed in a bad situation. You can record the license plate of a car involved, or a description of the bad guy. Otherwise, Combs says, you are going to forget those details by the time the police arrive.

Being aware is the most important part of self-defense, Combs says.

"One of the questions at the start of my concealed-carry class is 'Do you know deep down in your heart that you would do whatever it takes to protect yourself, your loved ones or a stranger whose life is being threatened - up to and including the point of using deadly force?'"

That concept emphasizes to the students that they are responsible for every bullet that leaves their gun.

Combs owns and operates Electric Supply Company of Carlsbad, and a small building on the company's Canyon Street property has been fitted out with a classroom, supply room and other spaces for his classes.

Non-lethal advice

On one side of the classroom stands "Bob", the typical practice dummy with the heavy foam torso of a man mounted on a base that allows him to be kicked and punched without falling over. Bob wears a camouflage T-shirt, a cap and sunglasses.

To demonstrate some possible non-lethal tactics, Combs moves close to the dummy and pretends it is an assailant who is on you before you can draw your concealed handgun.

"Something as simple as using the palm of your hand," he says as he demonstrates a sharp shove to the dummy's nose and face. "You don't want to use a fist. You will break knuckles."

As the demonstration continues, Combs digs his thumbs into the dummy's eyes, then quickly claps the ears with both his hands.

"If you have two disrupters, he won't know where it is coming from."

In spite of the physical nature of the demonstration, it isn't exactly hand-to-hand combat, and the aim is not to beat up the assailant. Chances are he is bigger and stronger than you, which is why he chose you as a victim.

"The key is to get him off kilter so that you can run away," Combs explains.

Pulling a pen from his shirt pocket, Combs jabs the dummy in several sensitive areas: the throat, the solar plexus.

If you do all this and the assailant keeps coming toward you, you don't want to be talking, Combs says, you want to be shooting.

Shooting sports

"We are lucky to have a shooting range in this small town," Combs says, "and it's free."

Because the Carlsbad range, on Highway 526 north of town, does not have an on-site safety officer as some ranges do, Combs got his range officer certification.

"I felt it important to know how to handle people on the range; and it also helps when you are doing shooting sports, which there are more and more of in Carlsbad.

One of the things Combs likes to do in class demonstrates how the body will naturally try to align itself in order to shoot straight.

"I will pick someone that I know has not had much shooting experience and have them aim at a target," he says.

For this exercise, he uses a laser training pistol.

He asks the student to take aim and fire at the target.

After the student shoots, he asks them to try again - with both eyes open.

"Just put it up there and pull the trigger without thinking," he tells them.

At that point in shooting, he explains, the body is going to naturally align itself to the best shot.

"And students get closer to dead center during the quick shooting than they do by lining the shot up," he says.

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